• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.7-18
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• 2003

This study was to investigate the effects(pain, discomfort, and range of motion) of heat therapy according to the application time among the elderly with osteoarthritis. Study participants were 27 elderly women, who were diagnosed as osteoarthritis, suffered from it for more than 6 months, and who were staying at a nursing home in Busan. The independent variable was heat therapy, which was applied for 20minutes, one time per week according to 3 timetable(before waking up, while in daily living, before going to bed) over 6 weeks. The dependent variables were pain and discomfort measured by 20 points visual analog scales, and range of extension and flexion measured by goniometery. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and repeated measures ANOVA. The results were as follows ; 1) There were significant differences for pain(F=9.77 p=.0001), discomfort(F=8.07 p=.001), range of extension(F=3.05 p=.05), and flexion(F=9.67 p=.0001) among heat therapy application times. 2) There were significant differences for pain(F=58.18 p=.0001), discomfort(F=63.68 p=.0001), range of extension(F=11.59 p=.001), and flexion(F=17.59 p=.0001) between before and after applying heat therapy. 3) There were not statistically significant differences for pain(F=.64 p=.531), discomfort(F=.18 p=.836), range of extension(F=1.33 p=.270), and fiexion(F=.26 p=.773) between before and after applying heat therapy according to the heat therapy application times. In conclusion, heat therapy was effective in reducing pain and discomfort, and in improving ROM for the elderly with osteoarthritis, but the effect of it was not different according to the time of application. We recommended further studies with larger sample size, longer and more repeatedly applied to investigate the effect of heat therapy according to the time of application.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.9-19
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• 2009

Repetitive movement, inadequate working posture, overuse of force, physical contact with sharp edge, vibration and temperature were well known risk factors of WMSDs (Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders). Many researchers have investigated the relationship between inadequate working postures and incidences of WMSDs of the upper extremities, whereas relatively few researchers have tried to evaluate workload associated with the lower-body postures. The effects of lower-limb postures including various knee flexion angles on the subjective discomfort, heart rate and EMG of lower-limb muscles were investigated in this study. Thirty graduate students were asked to maintain thirteen different body postures, and heart rate and EMG data of five muscle groups (electro spine, biceps femoris, vastus medialis, gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior) from each posture were collected during fifteen minutes sustaining tasks. All participants were also asked to report their discomfort ratings of body parts. Results showed that high subjective discomfort ratings and heart rates were reported at the postures of knee angles of $60^{\circ}$ and $90^{\circ}$, whereas low discomfort ratings were founded at the postures of chair heights with 20cm, 40cm, and sitting with crossed legged. The change of median frequency for each muscle group during fifteen minutes tasks was investigated for each body posture to evaluate the relationship between muscle fatigue and body posture. It was found that the trends of changes of median frequency were different based on muscle group as well as lower-limb body posture from this study.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.379-389
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• 2019

Purpose: This study examined the effects of wheelchair handle directions on the trunk muscle activity of adult males when climbing ramps. It also evaluated the wheelchair attendant's physical discomfort during tasks. Methods: Healthy males aged over 20 years were chosen and the direction of wheelchair handle grip was randomly selected. The grips included a general grip with ulnar deviation, a medial grip with wrist pronation, and a neutral grip with a neutral wrist. The trunk muscle activity was measured using surface electromyography. Furthermore, the physical discomfort of wheelchair attendants was subjectively evaluated using the Borg CR-10 Scale, which rates the perceived exertion. In addition, the SPSS 18.0 program was used perform repeated measure ANOVA to compare muscle activity and subjective discomfort during the interventions. The contrast test was also conducted with a significance level (α) of 0.05. Results: There was significant difference between the general grip and the medial grip in the rhomboid major muscle and the lumbar erector spinae muscle (p<0.05). In addition, there was significant difference between the general grip and the neutral grip in the rhomboid major muscle and the lumbar erector spinae muscle (p<0.05). Further, there was significant difference between the general grip and the neutral grip in subjective discomfort (p<0.05). Conclusion: In this study, adult male trunk muscle activity and subjective discomfort were lowest when using the neutral grip while climbing ramps. Accordingly, we suggest that neutral grips will help improve the function of the musculoskeletal system and reduce the subjective discomfort by putting less strain on the trunk muscles and maximizing efficiency with less force.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.3-14
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• 2014

Since the domestic introduction of iPhone in 2009, use of smartphones rapidly increased and many tasks, previously performed by various devices, are now performed by smartphones. In this process the importance of reading little text using small smartphone screen has become highly significant. This research tested how display factors of smartphone (pixel density, sub-pixel structure, luminance) and environmental factor (illumination) affect legibility related discomfort in text reading. The results indicated that legibility related discomfort is largely affected by pixel density, where people experience inconvenience when the pixel density becomes lower than 300 PPI. Illumination has limited effect on legibility related discomfort. Participants reported more legibility related discomfort when stimulus presented in various levels of illumination rather than single illumination level. Sub-pixel structure and luminance did not affected legibility related discomfort. Based on the results we suggest lower limit resolution of smart devices (smartphones, tablet computers) of different sizes for text legibility.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.49-54
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• 2016

Background: Prolonged sitting leads to low back discomfort and lumbopelvic muscle fatigue. This study examined the characteristics of body perceived discomfort and trunk muscle fatigue during 1 hour of sitting in three postures in office workers. Methods: Thirty workers sat for 1 hour in one of three sitting postures (i.e., upright, slumped, and forward leaning postures). Body discomfort was assessed using the Body Perceived Discomfort scale at the beginning and after 1 hour of sitting. Electromyographic (EMG) signals were recorded from superficial lumbar multifidus, iliocostalis lumborum pars thoracis, internal oblique (IO)/transversus abdominis (TrA), and rectus abdominis muscles during 1 hour of sitting. The median frequency (MDF) of the EMG power spectrum was calculated. Results: Regardless of the sitting posture, the Body Perceived Discomfort scores in the neck, shoulder, upper back, low back, and buttock significantly increased after 1 hour of sitting compared with baseline values ($t_{(9)}=-11.97$ to -2.69, p < 0.05). The MDF value of the EMG signal of rectus abdominis, iliocostalis lumborum pars thoracis, and multifidus muscles was unchanged over time in all three sitting postures. Only the right and left IO/TrA in the slumped sitting posture was significantly associated with decreased MDF over time (p = 0.019 to 0.041). Conclusion: Prolonged sitting led to increased body discomfort in the neck, shoulder, upper back, low back, and buttock. No sign of trunk muscle fatigue was detected over 1 hour of sitting in the upright and forward leaning postures. Prolonged slumped sitting may relate to IO/TrA muscle fatigue, which may compromise the stability of the spine, making it susceptible to injury.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.67-83
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• 1998

A quasi-experiment, repeated measures design with non-equivalent control group was used to test the influence of cold therapy on the perineal discomfort and the healing state of the postpartum women undergoing vaginal delivery with episiotomy. Experiment was carried out from July 28, through October 2, 1996 with 40 postpartum women conveniently sampled from one university hospital located in Seoul. The 40 postpartum women undergoing vaginal delivery with episiotomy were as signed to experimental and control groups evenly(20 each). The instrument of measurement of perineal discomfort was 0-10 rating scale that was made by researcher and that of perineal healing state was Davidson's REEDA tool. The perineal discomfort and the healing state level were measured before and after each treatment. The treatment using ice glove that was given for the only experimental group was carried out at three points ; as soon as returning to the recovery room, 3 hours after returning to the recovery room and 6 hours after returning to the recovery room. The data was analysed by using t-test, chi-square test to determine the similarity between experimental and control groups. The hypotheses were tested using repeated measures ANOVA. The results of this study are summarized as follows; 1. The first hypothesis that the perineal discomfort level of the experimental group will be significantly lower than that of the control group(df(1,38), F=24.12, p=.0001) was supported. 2. The second hypothesis that the perineal healing state of the experimental group wil be better than that of the control group(df(1,38), F=0.48, p=.49) was not supported. Based on the results of this study, could therapy was turned out to have significant effect on the perineal discomfort of the postpartum women undergoing vaginal delivery with episiotomy.

• Journal of the Korea Fashion and Costume Design Association
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.117-130
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• 2018

As women wear shoes for a long time due to aesthetic elements and working environment, many women experience discomfort and deformation in their feet due to their shoes and the production of comfortable shoes is becoming an important issue. The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors affecting the grip of shoes by foot type, shoe design, and wearing attitude of shoes. Through this, we suggest solutions for foot discomfort due to wearing shoes and help to prevent foot related diseases. The study results are as follows; first, a wide foot, square-type, and high or low arch (hollow foot or flat foot) among foot shapes influenced the fatigue and pain of feet, and big feet over 250mm-long, wide feet, square-type feet, and high-arch feet (hollow foot) had an influence on distortion and side effects. Second, among the characteristics of wearing shoes influencing foot discomfort, the higher the shoe heels were, the narrower the surface covering the feet was (pumps and mule), and the shoes with high front heels and narrow back heel area, the shoe wearer had a higher possibility of experiencing fatigue and pain and even had not only fatigue and pain but also side effects when she wore pointed shoes. Third, a shoe wearer experiences fatigue and pain if she wears shoes for a shorter period of time, stay stood while wearing shoes for a short time, and wears shoes that are bigger or smaller than the actual shoe size. Fourth, fatigue and pain experiencers and distortion and side effects experiencers all responded that they change into other shoes to deal with foot discomfort and that they directly massage their feet.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.269-282
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• 2023

Purpose: Dental fear hinders patients from receiving appropriate dental treatment. In particular, the noise generated by high-speed air turbines and ultrasonic scalers can adversely affect patients. Many efforts have been made to reduce the discomfort caused by noise, but no methods are definitively recommended. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of active noise-canceling (ANC) headphones in reducing the pain and discomfort associated with dental scaling. Methods: Fifty-five patients requiring scaling and root planing, aged ≥19 years and showing no auditory problems, were included. Scaling was performed for the bilateral maxillary molars and premolars while patients wore headphones, with ANC turned either on or off. The degree of noise and pain reduction in the on and off conditions were surveyed using a visual analog scale (VAS). The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was performed to compare noise-and pain-related discomfort with ANC turned on and off. Results: The sample included 28 men and 27 women with a mean age of 45.45±13.12 years. The average noise-related discomfort score was 3.84±2.12 and 2.95±1.99 when noise-canceling was turned off and on, respectively, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). Similarly, the average pain-related discomfort score was 3.78h±2.00 and 3.09±1.96 when noise-canceling was turned off and on, respectively, which was a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). Conclusions: The use of ANC headphones seems to reduce the discomfort caused by noise and pain in patients undergoing scaling.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.99-108
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• 2023

Objectives : The aim of this study was to assess the quantitative characteristics of pressure pain threshold (PPT) and pressure depth (PD) at the abdominal conception vessel (CV) acupoints according to subjective digestive status and digestive discomfort levels, accomplished by comparing a large group of healthy men and women, using the modified digital algometer. Methods : A total of 1,504 healthy adults aged 19 years or older participated in this study. A questionnaire was administered to evaluate participants' digestive status and discomfort. PPT (kgf/cm²/s) and PD (mm) measurements were obtained at CV14, CV12, and CV4 acupoints using a modified digital algometer. General characteristics were analyzed using the chi-square test, and differences in PPT and PD were assessed using two-sample t-tests and ANCOVA. Results : Significant difference in PPT was found based on digestive status at CV14 and CV12 for both sexes, and in PD at CV14 for women. Women exhibited significant difference in PPT based on digestive discomfort at CV14, CV12, and CV4, while men showed significant difference at CV14 and CV12. Significant difference in PD was observed at CV14 and CV4 among women. Even after adjusting for age and body mass index, significant difference persisted in PPT based on digestive discomfort at CV14 and CV12 for both sexes. PD exhibited significant differences at CV14, CV12, and CV4 among women. Conclusions : Using the modified digital algometer, this study showed the significant difference of pressure pain threshold at the CV14 and CV12 acupoints for subjective digestive discomfort levels in healthy men and women.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.161-171
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• 2024

The efficient management of pain and discomfort is essential for successful dental treatment and patient compliance. Dental professionals are commonly evaluated for their ability to perform treatment with minimal patient discomfort. Despite advancements in traditional local dental anesthesia techniques, the pain and discomfort associated with injections remain a concern. This scoping review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the literature on novel dental anesthetics and associated devices designed to alleviate pain and discomfort during dental procedures. The Joanna Briggs Institute and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines were used to prepare the review. Six databases and two sources of gray literature were searched. This review analyzed 107 sources from 1994 to 2023. Local anesthesia devices were grouped into computer-controlled local anesthetic delivery (CCLAD) systems, intraosseous anesthesia (IOA), vibratory stimulation devices, and electronic dental anesthesia (EDA). CCLAD systems, particularly the Wand and Single-Tooth Anesthesia, have been the most researched, with mixed results regarding their effectiveness in reducing pain during needle insertion compared to traditional syringes. However, CCLAD systems often demonstrated efficacy in reducing pain during anesthetic deposition, especially during palatal injections. Limited studies on IOA devices have reported effective pain alleviation. Vibrating devices have shown inconsistent results in terms of pain reduction, with some studies suggesting their primary benefit is during needle insertion rather than during the administration phase. EDA devices are effective in reducing discomfort but have found limited applicability. These findings suggest that the CCLAD systems reduce injection pain and discomfort. However, the evidence for other devices is limited and inconsistent. The development and research of innovative technologies for reducing dental pain and anxiety provides opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and improved patient care in dental practice.